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Where to Lubricate the Saeco Superautomatic Brew Groups

It’s a good idea to regularly pull out your Saeco superautomatic’s brew group and spray it down with hot water — we recommend doing this once per week and using water only, no soap. Why? Because the soap is going to break down the lubrication on the brew group and you’ll be re-applying it weekly as opposed to twice a year. Ultimately, you’ll be using more than you need to and we’re just thrifty that way.

Gail shows us where to apply the lubricant on the brew group when it is time for a touch up. A general rule of thumb is that if you can see/feel the lubrication on the group, you’re probably as lubricated as you need to be. When applying, don’t put a large quantity into each area; just apply some to a q-tip and then put a light layer. We often see big globs applied that then mix with coffee grounds to make a rather dangerous cement. In this case, you can have too much of a good thing.

Recently bought a Saeco Odea Go II machine and have been curious about this topic. The owner’s guide says to lubricate about every 500 brew cycles. Too often? They point out the tracks on the inside of each side of the brew group as you have and I can definitely see lubricant on mine. But I am wondering about other areas such as the O rings on the brew head and connection points for water inlet and coffee output? Should these just be kept clean but no lubricant? What about the central drive pivot (circular opening that engages with the main motor drive cog)?

The techs say about twice a year is fine, if at all. Basically, a light layer on all the friction points is a good idea, but if you’re pulling out and thoroughly spraying down/cleaning the brew group every week, the requirement for lubrication is not as high. We see them in here all the time with no lubrication and they still work just fine. The big thing is making sure you don’t use too much and that you keep it free of loose grounds as that is what will adversely impact the function most of all.

Let me know if you have any other questions and thanks for watching
Kat